Mining planer



MINING PLANER Sheet Filed Sept. 5, 1967 m 2 5 m H M mm m D E r r m 9. MM m N1 q Q q E Q 6 g v y x Q Rh H r L II. H WH HM' M H lhfllw W @wfi hmw i IIIII QW LM mm mw nh.\ 2 m 2 Q Q s Him I a a Q Mfl ni I I R g H W s E NN w y 1969 ALOBBE ETAL 3,445,138

MINING PLANER Filed Sept. 5, 1967 Sheet 2 of 5 Inventors AKMIA/ LOBBE v- MICHAEL WEA/GKZIK Afro R we Y5 May 20, 1969 A. LbBBE ETAL MINING PLANBR Shet Filed Sept. 5, 1967 lnventars ARMIN LBBEd MICHAEL VEIGKZ K BY flwx u ArroRuE Y5 y 0, 1969 A. LO-BBE ETAL. 3,445,138

. MINING PLANER Filed Sept. 5. 1967 Sheet 4 01' 5 BYW M FT'I R/VEKS y 969 A. LOBBE ETAL 3,445,138

MINING PLANER Sheet Q of 5 Filed Sept. 5, 1967 Fig. 6

Fig. 7

In ventors ll/QM/A/ L 5565 wMlC HAEL WEl/GRZ/K BY fi l t i140, 0-

H TT 0/9106 Y5 United States Patent 0 3,445,138 MINING PLANER Armin Liihhe, Oberaden, and Michael Wengrzik, Niederaden, Germany, assignors to Gewerkschaft Eisenhistte Westfalia, Westphalia, Lunen, Germany Filed Sept. 5, 1967, Ser. No. 667,045 Int. Cl. E210 27/32, 13/00 US. Cl. 299-34 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Mining machine, e.g., planer, having cutting means for longitudinal travel back and forth along a mine face for extracting or Winning mineral, e.g., coal, therefrom in both longitudinal directions, in which the cutting means include a separate bank of at least two individual replaceable vertically stacked piston-cylinder means in corresponding static parallel flow communication for each cutting direction, in which either the cylinder part or piston part is fixed against movement and the other such part is displaceable longitudinally and has a cutting tool extending in the corresponding cutting direction, such that displacement of one of the displaceable parts and the corresponding tool thereof in a given bank in one operative direction causes corresponding proportionate displacement of the remaining displaceable parts in the same bank in the opposite operative direction, and in which guide means are provided which engage operatively each displaceable part to permit longitudinal displacement thereof with respect to the corresponding fixed part while preventing rotational displacement therebetween and in turn preventing rotation of the corresponding tool about the longitudinal axis of the particular piston-cylinder means.

The present invention relates to a mining machine such as a mining planer, e.g., for the extraction of mineral such as coal from a mine face, and more particularly to such a planar having at least two piston-cylinder means including a cylinder part and a piston part, with one such part being displaceable and the other fixed, whereby a cutting tool carried by the displaceable part may engage the mine face while counterforces met at the mine face will be distributed via a common pressure fluid medium interconnecting such piston-cylinder means to cause proportionate displacement in opposite direction of the remainder of the displaceable parts of such pistoncylinder means, with guide means being provided to prevent turning of the particular cutting tools about the piston cylinder axis in any position of displacement of the pistoncylinder means.

In British Patent 935,012, issued Aug. 21, 1963, a min-.

ing machine is shown in the form 'of a planer carrying a plurality of superimposed piston-cylinder means in a bank, each having a fixed cylinder and a displaceable piston carrying a cutting tool at the outer end thereof, with all of the cylinders being connected with a common source of pressure fluid medium, i.e., with the vertically aligned cylinders being in parallel flow. Thus, when an excessively hard portion of the mine face is met at one vertical level by a given cutting tool, displacement of the particular piston further into the corresponding cylinder occurs which causes corresponding displacement of the remaining pistons and their tools proportionately outwardly of their corresponding cylinders to distribute evenly the counterforce met at the mine face to all the tools in the bank, due to the common flow communication existing among the cylinders in the bank. In this way, automatic adjustment of the various vertically arranged cutting tools with respect to the mining face may be attained. However, a drawback of such construction is [the ice fact that the pistons under the vigorous forces exerted thereagainst during the cutting operation may be caused to rotate about the corresponding cylinder central axis and thus cause undesired displacement of the cutting tool away from the optimum cutting position. Moreover, the entire arrangement of vertically stacked piston-cylinder means carrying such cutting tools is pivotally disposed on a base means about a vertical axis of pivot which permits the use of separate opposed vertically stacked sets of piston-cylinder means to be injected into cutting position and displaced from cutting position automatically in dependence upon the longitudinal direction of advance of the arrangement at the mine face. As the artisan will appreciate, the mere pivoting of a cutting means about a vertical axis of pivot limits decisively the nature and type of cutting operation, especially with regard to the different types of cutting engagement normally desired near the mine floor as compared with the middle and upper portions of the mine face. Also, with a freely pivotal arrangement of the type shown in said British patent, inadequate control quite often occurs under particular mining conditions such that the desired group of stacked cutting tools for cutting in one particular direction may be forced out of the mine face with the result that not only ineflicient extraction of mineral will take place during the given length of travel but also the cutting tools normally displaced from cutting operation and used for cutting in the opposite direction will be drawn forward toward the mine face generating undesired friction and in turn overloading of the traction cable and drive means used to conduct the mining machine back and forth along the mine face.

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing drawbacks and to provide a mining machine, such as a mining planer, for the extraction of mineral, for example coal, from a mine face, which is equipped with a plurality of cutting tools of which at least a portion is adapted to extend in the desired longitudinal cutting direction and which may be extended outwardly toward the mine face in a controlled manner.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a mining machine of the foregoing type in which the cutting tools are carried by piston-cylinder means in vertically stacked or superimprosed relation for cutting in the desired longitudinal direction as the mining machine is conducted back and forth along the mine face.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a mining machine of the foregoing type in which the cutting tools carried by the piston-cylinder means are secured against rotation about the longitudinal axis of such pistoncylinder means in any position of displacement of the cylinder and piston parts with respect to one another.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a mining machine construction of the foregoing type in which cutting tools carried by the particular vertically stacked piston-cylinder means are disposed in the vicinity of the mine floor and positioned for cutting in a given longitudinal direction, and automatically pivotal outwardly, e.g., laterally, toward the mine face to be Worked, with appropriate pivoting automatically of such tools inwardly and away from the mine face during travel of the mining machine in the opposite operative direction, wherein corresponding vertically stacked piston-cylinder means carrying such tools for operation in the opposite operative direction are correspondingly pivoted outwardly or inwardly with respect to the mine face in conjunction with the pivoting of the first mentioned vertically stacked tools to achieve alternate piovting of the respective tools in the longitudinal direction of movement of the mining machine.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the foregoing type in which the mining machine includes a pair of articulatedly interconnected opposing portions, each of which carries an appropriate set of vertically stacked piston-cylinder means having such cutting tools for alternate pivoting toward and away from the mine face in the above described manner.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a mining machine of the foregoing type additionally provided with vertically stacked opposed piston-cylinder means with appropriate cutting tools of the foregoing type, with such stacked piston-cylinder means being pivotal about a vertcial axis to permit tools extending in one or the other operative cutting direction to be alternately inserted or withdrawn from cutting operation as desired, in order to effect the cutting of mineral in the range of the mine face above the aforementioned cutting tools located near the mine floor.

It is a stll further object of the present invention to provide an arrangement of the foregoing type in which the individual piston-cylinder means of each corresponding vertical stack is replaceably disposed in the stack so as to permit deletion or addition of one or more such pistoncylinder means whereby to change the range of cutting of the particular stack.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide mining cutter units including a cylinder body containing one or more cylinders therein correspondingly carrying a piston rod having a cutting tool on the outer end thereof with appropriate flow connections to interconnect such cylinder or cylinders with vertically adjabody is mounted in stacked relation with additional such cylinder bodies to achieve the over-all proportionate dis placement of the appropriate piston rods and in turn cutting tools in each vertical stack in dependence upon a fixed volume of pressure fluid communicating the various vertically stackd cylinders in parallel static flow.

Other and further objects of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the within specification and accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of a mining machine in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of the left hand portion of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged top view corresponding to the right hand portion of FIG. 2 and showing particular details of the insertion and withdrawal feature of vertically stacked cutting tools disposed on the right hand side of the arrangement of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a stacked set of cutting tools corresponding to that of FIG. 3 and illustrating the positional relationship thereof to one another and the angle of pivot with respect to the main body of the mining machine,

FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of the construction shown in FIG. 4, partially in section to illustrate specific details,

FIG. 6 is a schematic top view partially in section of opposed cutting tools for cutting mineral in the upper level of the mine face and particularly carried in the center of the mining machine shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view taken along the line VIIVII of FIG. 6 showing specific details of construction of a particular horizontal plate carrying opposed cutting tools in the manner shown in FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 is a schematic side elevation of a particular horizontal plate of the type shown in FIG. 7.

It has been found in accordance with the present invention that a mining planer may now be provided which comprises base means adapted to be conducted longitudinally back and forth in first and second opposite directions along a mine face, first direction cutting means and second direction cutting means mounted pivotally on said base means for corresponding alternate extractive engagement with such mine face during travel of said base 4 means in said first and second directions, each said cutting means having a bank of at least two individual substantially vertically stacked pressure fluid medium actuated piston-cylinder means in operative static pressure fluid medium parallel flow communication and each said piston-cylinder means including a piston part and a cylinder part with one of said parts being fixed against movement and being situated in longitudinal disposition on the corresponding cutting means and the other of said parts being displaceable, such that displacement of one of said displaceable parts in a particular bank in one operative direction causes correspondingly proportionate displacement of the remainder of said displaceable parts in such bank in the opposite operative direction, each said displaceable part having a cutting tool mounted thereon which extends operatively in the corresponding cutting direction, and guide means for each said displaceable part engaging operatively such part to permit longitudinal displacement thereof with respect to the corresponding fixed part while preventing rotational displacement thereof and in turn of the corresponding tool about the longitudinal axis of said piston-cylinder means in any position of displacement of such displaceable part.

Preferably, said cutting means include a corresponding pair of operatively opposed lower tool carriers pivotally mounted on the corresponding longitudinal ends of said base means for limited pivoting laterally toward and away from the adjacent mine face, each said lower carrier having a corresponding bank of at least two said individual substantially vertical stacked piston-cylinder means longitudinally disposed thereon together with said guide means therefor such that the corresponding pivot axes of said lower tool carriers are closer to the center of said base means than are the cutting tools carried by said tool carriers, longitudinally spaced apart stop means being defined on said base means and slide bar means being longitudinally displaceably disposed on said base means and adapted to be attached to the corresponding ends of a traction cable used for conducting the planer back and forth along the mine face to permit limited longitudinal displacement of said slide bar means with respect to said base means between said stop means in dependence upon the direction of pull of such traction cable means on said slide bar means, and a pair of lever links each pivotally connected at one corresponding end to said slide bar means at corresponding longitudinally spaced apart bar pivot points and at the other corresponding end to a corresponding lower carrier at corresponding longitudinally spaced apart carrier pivot points, the distance between said bar pivot points being shorter than the corresponding distance between said carrier pivot points, whereby displacement of said slide bar means alternatively pivots said carriers toward and away from such mine face.

In accordance with one advantageous feature of the present invention, the pivot axes of the 'lower tool carriers are disposed in a common vertical plane, with such axes being inclined upwardly and medially toward each other. This enhances the efliciency of the cutting of mineral especially in the vicinity of the mine floor.

Also, the cutting means advantageously further includes an upper tool carrier pivotally mounted thereon along a substantially vertical pivot axis. The upper carrier is provided with a corresponding pair of opposed banks of at least two individual substantially vertical stacked pistoncylinder means longitudinally disposed substantially on the corresponding end portions of the upper carrier together with the necessary guide means therefor.

Referring to the drawing, and especially FIG. 1, a mining machine is shown in the form of a bipartite planer it including a left section or base 11 and a right section or base 12 which may be in a mirror image relation to one another. Left section 11 is provided with a left flat bottom plate extension 13 while right section 12 is provided with a corresponding right flat bottom plate extension 14, with such plate extensions being articulatedly interconnected about the pivot axis P which is horizontally disposed in a direction transverse the longitudinal operative direction of planer It). In this way, the bipartite planer during travel back and forth along the mine face is able to adapt itself to irregularities in the mine floor. Left and right blocks or lower support members and 16, respectively, are mounted on the appropriate plate extensions 13 and 14. Such lower support members 15 and 16 carry correspondingly the tool holders or carriers 17 and 18, to which a plurality of tools are fastened in superimposed stacked relation to one another. Specifically, the tools on the left tool carrier 17 are designated T T T T and T whereas the tools on the right tool carrier 18 are designated T T T T and T As will be noted more fully hereinbelow, each tool T to T is composed of one or more outwardly projecting plane cutters, a hydraulic cylinder fastened to the corresponding tool carrier 17 or 18, as the case may be, and a piston rod slidably received within the appropriate cylinder and having a piston for coaction with the cylinder such that the plane cutters are fastened to the external or outer end of the corresponding piston rod for extractive engagement with the mine face in the desired manner. Of course, as the artisan will appreciate, the reverse disposition may be utilized, i.-e. with the corresponding piston rods being fixedly mounted on the the appropriate tool carrier and the cylinder displaceably received on such piston rod and carrying the necessary plane cutters at the outward operative end thereof. The hydraulic fluid would be fed to such cylinders in this modification of the construction shown via a flow conduit extending through the piston rod itself and communicating with the piston-cylinder chamber. For convenience, the remainder of the construction will be described in terms of a fixed cylinder part and a displaceable piston part although both types of constructions are herein contemplated, as the artisan will appreciate.

The piston-cylinder means carrying the plane cutters or cutting tools form individual units which may be fastened in vertically superimposed stacked relation on the corresponding tool carrier, as the case may be. In this way, by replaceably fastening the particular piston-cyliner means on the tool carriers, the arrangement can be adapted precisely to the working conditions to be met at the mine face and deletion or addition of pistoncylinder means to such units can be undertaken by the workmen even in the mineway with a minimum of effort and disruption. The cylinders for all of the tools fastened to a given stacked or superimposed set carried by a particular tool carrier are filled conveniently with a hydraulic fluid, such as hydraulic oil, and are in common flow communication with one another, e.g., static parallel flow communication, so that displacement of one piston rod in a given cylinder of the stack will cause corresponding flow of hydraulic fluid out of such cylinder and into the remaining cylinders so as to cause in turn proportionate displacement of the piston rods in such cylinders in the opposite longitudinal direction. Thus, a fixed volume of pressure fluid is provided to ensure that displacement of one piston rod within its cylinder will result in proportionate displacement in the opposite direction of the other piston rods out of their respective cylinders.

Of course, it will be realized that the various pistoncylinder means in a given stack will be provided with appropriate interconnecting flow conduit means permitting flow communication with the next adjacent piston-cylinder means in the vertical stack in question so that one or more piston-cylinder means may be removed from the stack with a minimum of interruption since the remaining piston-cylinder means may be merely consolidated in adjacent vertical abutment with respect to one another.

As the artisan will appreciate, although hydraulic fluid is particularly appropriate for operating the piston-cylinder means in question, any other analogous pressure fluid medium may be utilized as well, such as a pneumatic fluid, so long as the fluid possesses characteristics permitting direct transmittal of force from one cylinder to the next to achieve the proportionate back flow of fluid out of the cylinder in which the corresponding piston rod is being inwardly displaced and into the remaining cylinders in order to achieve corresponding outward displacement of the remaining piston rods thereof in the desired way.

The lower tool carriers 17 and 18 are advantageously able to be pivoted toward and away from the mine face about the left and right axes A and A in a most efficient manner due to the fact that such axes are inclined medially and upwardly toward the center of planer 10 yet such axes are disposed in the same vertical plane. Most eflicient cutting of mineral in the vicinity of the mine floor may be attained with the use of cutting tools mounted on the pivotal carriers 17 and 18, not only because of the fact that such carriers are pivotally arranged but because they are pivotally arranged on inclined axes in the same vertical plane to ensure proper contact with the mine face and avoidance of displacement out of the mine face where hard mineral is encountered as the planer 10 is conducted longitudinally along such mine face. Specific control means are utilized to urge alternately the lower tool carriers 17 and 18 outwardly toward the mine face and inwardly away from such mine face, depending upon the direction of travel of the planer 10, as the artisan will appreciate. Indeed, ahead of the tools on each of the carriers 17 and 18, as the case may be, rigid forecutters 19 and 20, respectively, are provided in order to cut the mineral from the face along the mine floor. In FIG. 1, the forecutter 19 is shown mounted on the outermost longitudinal end of the left lower support member 15 whereas the forecutter 20 is shown in FIG. 3 mounted on the outermost longitudinal end of the right lower support member 16.

Between the lower support members 15 and 16 which are spaced apart by the interpositioning of the floor plate extensions '13 and 14, a center bridge member 21 having the upper tool carrier 22 thereon is pivotally interconnected at the longitudinal end portions thereof to the corresponding upper medial end portions of the lower support members 15 and 16, respectively, via the left and right joints 23 and 24, as the case may be. It will be realized in this regard that in order to achieve accommodation of the bipartite planer 10 to unevenness in the mine floor, at least one of the joints 23 and 24 or the connection between the floor plate extensions 13 and 14 about the pivot axis P, and preferably all three such interconnections, will be provided with suflicient lateral play. Such lateral play will enable the left and right lower support members 15 and 16 and the center bridge member 21 to articulate with respect to one another and thus avoid undue stresses on the interconnecting parts and at the same time provide ready adaptation of the arrangement to any irregularities which might occur in conducting planer 10 longitudinally back and forth along the mine face.

The center bridge member 21 as aforesaid is conveniently provided with the upper tool carrier 22 yet also has the stationary double roof cutter chisels T thereon for appropriate cutting. This enables the bridge member to carry out cutting not only of the upper level of the mine face in the area above the range of the cutting tools of the tool carriers 17 and 18 but also the mineral adjacent the roof.

Tools T T T and T are carried at the outer ends of the appropriate piston rods received within the stacked cylinders on each half of the upper tool carrier 22. In this way, by arranging the upper tool carrier 22 pivotally on the center bridge member 21, the left or right bank of superimposed stacked piston-cylinder means may be swung into operation to cut mineral from the mine face in conjunction with the swinging in or out, as the case may be, of the tool carriers 17 and 18 whereby to engage the left hand bank of tools T T T T and 7 T and alternately the right hand bank of tools T T T5, T8 and T10.

It is clear from the showing of the upper tool carrier in FIG. 1 that both leftand right tools T to T are provided by the use of opposed piston-cylinder means on each half of the carrier 22, each of the piston-cylinder means preferably being removably mounted on the tool carrier 22 and especially in the form of separate horizontal plates in stacked disposition, each of which contains mounted therein a pair of opposed left and right piston-cylinder means with appropriate tools thereon. In effect, the piston-cylinder means mounted in each tier, i.e. in a common horizontal plate, extend inwardly toward one another such that their longitudinal axes intercept at an obtuse angle diverging outwardly toward the mine face.

A traction cable means shown in the form of a chain 25 is attached at its ends to the corresponding longitudinal end-s of the planer 10, i.e. to the left and right lower support members 15 and 16, as the case may be, with the chain being looped over the appropriate drive drums (not shown) at the ends of the mineway in which the planer is operated, such that the return strand 25a (see FIG. 2) extends appropriately through a channel in the planer in the prior art manner.

As may be seen more clearly from FIG. 2, the left base 11 and the right base 12 are interconnected via the floor plate extensions 13 and 14, utilizing pivot hinge means whereby to achieve an articulation at axis P between the left and right bases. The left tool carrier 17 is shown in neutral position with all of the tools stacked in substantially vertical disposition, i.e., along the inclined axis A Also, in FIG. 2, the left forecutter 19 is shown longitudinally outwardly of the left tool carrier 17, and the appropriate points of attachment of the forward strand 25 and the disposition of the return strand 25a of the traction cable can be seen as well. The pivot connections 23 and 24 by which the center bridge member 21 is mounted on the medial end portions of the bases 11 and 12 may be seen in detail and the disposition of the upper tool carrier 21 carrying the roof chisels T The left and right upper tools T to T are disposed in vertically stacked relation in the left and right banks such that by reason of the pivotal mounting of the upper tool carrier 22 on the bridge 21, the appropriate left or right upper tools may be inserted into engagement with the mine face from the neutral position shown, depending upon the longitudinal direction of advance of the planer along the mine face.

It will be further realized from FIG. 2 that the connections between the plate extensions 13 and 14 as well as the pivot connections 23 and 24 are such as to allow a certain amount of play to permit the three parts to articulate among one another sufficiently to accommodate unevenness in the mine floor while still maintaining the primary order of disposition of such parts for carrying out the main purpose of the over-all mining arrangement.

FIG. 3 illustrates in greater detail the appropriate right side of the planer 10 wherein the right lower support member 16 is shown having the right tool carrier 18 pivotally mounted thereon via the inclined axis A and having longitudinally outwardly thereof the appropriate rigid floor forecutter next to which the attachment for the forward strand 25 of the traction cable is shown and transversely behind which the path of the return strand 25a of such traction cable is accommodated. As compared with the position of the left tool carrier 17 in FIG. 2, the right tool carrier 18 having the tools T T T T T is shown not in neutral position but rather in outermost and downwardmost forward position extending toward the mine face, relative to the innermost and backwardmost rearward position with respect to the mine face between which positions the right tool carrier 18 may be passed.

Advantageously, in accordance with the present invention, in order to achieve a proper control of the inward and outward pivoting axis A of the right tool carrier 18 and, of course, concomitantly in the same way by an appropriate mirror image construction the pivoting about axis A of the left tool carrier 17, the slide bar 26 is provided in a longitudinal guide 27 defined in the lower support member 16 for this purpose. Intermediate the ends of bar 26, a transverse link lever 28 is disposed which is connected at rear pivot axis 29 to bar 26 and at forward pivot axis 38 to right tool carrier 18 in the vicinity of the uppermost tool T of the tools T T T T T carried thereat. Link lever 28 and in turn the rear and forward axes 29 and 38 are dimensioned in terms of the amplitude of back and forth sliding movement of bar 26 in guide 27 such that lever 28 will be disposed at an angle slightly less than substantially transverse disposition when right tool carrier 18 is moved substantially to the forwardmost outward position leaning towards the mine face and will be disposed at the greatest angular deviation with respect to the transverse axis where the right tool carrier 18 is inwardly moved angularly toward the right lower support member 16 the greatest extent possible. Between these two extreme pivot positions of right tool carrier 18 will be the neutral position thereof when the tools T T T T T are arranged more or less in a vertical plane parallel to the appropriate axis A In order to achieve purposeful limits of displacement of slide bar 26 in guide 27, concomitant stop means 29a and 29!) are provided which in effect limit the longitudinal range of movement of the rearwardmost end of lever 28 and in turn the angular disposition of lever 28 with respect to the transverse axis.

A bar connecting chain 31 or other articulation connection is interposed between the medial ends of the appropriate slide bars 26 on each half of planer 10 whereby displacement in one longitudinal direction of one bar 26 will cause in turn corresponding displacement of the other such bar with the bar connecting chain 31 permitting angular deviation from the normal longitudinal disposition of the two bars 26, as for example where the left and right bases 11 and 12 are articulated with respect to one another and with respect to the center bridge 21 during normal planer operation.

In FIG. 3, the attachment of the forward strand 25 to the planer 10 is seen more clearly. Actually, such attachment is not to a fixed point on the appropriate end of planer 10 but rather the attachment is to the corresponding distal end of slide bar 26. In this manner, advantageous control of the swinging in and swinging out of the appropriate bank of tools of the right and left tool carriers 17 and 18 may be accomplished since the forward strand 25 when pulled toward the right as viewed in FIG. 3 will cause the slide bar 26 to be displaced concomitantly toward the right and in turn the longitudinal displacement of rear pivot axis 29 toward the right. As a consequence, the forward pivot axis 30 must be displaced in forward direction whereupon the right tool carrier 18 connected therewith is pivoted about the inclined pivot axis A outwardly toward the mine face. On the other hand, since the left side bar 26 on the left lower support member 15 represents a mirror image construction of that shown in FIG. 3, such displacement to the right, due to the connecting chain 31 between the two slide bars, will cause the left tool carrier 17 to be pivoted about axis A inwardly away from the mine face.

Where the planer 10 is conducted in the opposite direction, i.e. to the left as shown in FIG. 3, the appropriate strand end connected to the left side of the planer will cause displacement toward the left of both slide bars in the same manner. In this way, for example, the rear pivot axis 29 will be displaced toward the left whereby to cause the forward pivot axis 38 to be displaced rearwardly, in turn drawing inwardly the right tool carrier 18 away from the mine face by appropriate pivotal travel about the right inclined axis A Additional stop means may be provided at the ends of the lower support members and 16 in the vicinity of the forecutters 19 and 20, for example, to absorb appropriately the main thrust of the traction cable on the ends of the slide bars 26, if desired.

It will be seen that the outward and inward pivotal displacement toward and away from the mine face of the appropriate left and right tool carriers 17 and 18 about the inclined axes A and A as the case may be, will take place alternately with respect to one another so that one such bank of tools in a carrier will be extended into operation in the appropriate direction of advance as the leading cutting means while the other will be withdrawn from operation as the trailing cutting means. This action is achieved because of the mirror image construction of the left and right lower support members of the coacting parts described hereinabove, including the appropriate slide bar 26, guide 27, link lever 28, rear and forward pivot axes 29 and 30, stop means 29a and 2%, bar connecting chain 31, appropriate forward strands of the traction cable, and the corresponding inclined axes A and A together with the tool carriers 17 and 18 in their pivotally mounted disposition.

Of importance to this construction relationship is the fact that the stop means 29a and 2% must conform to the relative positions of the rear and forward pivot axes 29 and to prevent the link lever 28 from assuming a full angle of 90 with respect to the bar 26. Instead, the outward end position of bar 26 is reached shortly before lever 28 assumes such 90 angle. This is the position shown in FIG. 3 of lever 28. Opposite movement to the left of bar 26 as shown in FIG. 3 readily permits rear pivot axis 29 to be displaced along the axis of bar 26 to the left whereupon the forward pivot axis 30 will be displaced pivotally to draw the right tool carrier 18 inwardly away from the mine face such that lever 28 will assume at the farthest limit to the left of displacement of bar 26 a greater angle with respect to the transverse axis than the slight angle with respect thereto of lever 28 when rear pivot axis 29 is displaced to the outermost position to the right as aforesaid.

The return strand 25a as shown in FIG. 3 passes through the appropriate lower support member 16 along a path parallel to that of the forward strand 25 and in turn to that of slide bar 26 and guide 27 whereby minimum stress on the operating parts will be experienced during travel of the planer back and forth along the mine face. Of course, a similar relationship is present in the mirror image construction of the lower support member 15 on the left.

In FIG. 4, the right tool carrier 18 is shown and schematically the pivot lugs 34a, 34b and 340 by which carrier 18 is mounted along inclined axis A to the right lower support member 16. The piston-cylinder means carrying the actual cutting tools T T T and T are shown mounted via the pocket connectors 32 on carrier 18. Additionally, the bolts 33 pass through the peripheral portions of the particular cylinder walls to achieve additional connection between the piston-cylinder means and carrier '18. The lowermost tool T may be provided as the floor cutting tool, and optionally in place of a single cutting tool for each piston-cylinder means a plurality of cutting tools may be provided by the use of appropriate modification of the mounting means. The uppermost tool T 'has been omitted in order to indicate the replaceable nature of each of the piston-cylinder means carrying the tools and the manner by which the construction may be modified versatilely.

As may be seen more clearly in FIG. 5, each pistoncylinder means is in the form of a separate unit including a cylinder 37 and a piston rod 39 slidably received therein with the appropriate cutting tool 38 mounted on the outward end or piston rod head 42 of the appropriate piston rod 39. A fluid chamber 40 is provided at the inward end of cylinder 37 which flow communicates with a common vertical connecting line 41 carrying a static source of pressure fluid such as hydraulic oil. Thus, in the event the cutting tool 38 encounters excessive forces at the mine face which may be due to a band of harder mineral than that normally encountered, piston rod 39 will be displaced inwardly into cylinder 37 causing the outflow of pressure fluid medium from the fluid chamber 40 to the common connecting line 41. Since all of the piston-cylinder means are carried as a bank in stacked superimposed vertical relation (see FIG. 4, for example), the pressure medium will in turn be forced proportionately into the remaining fluid chambers of the other piston-cylinder means in the same bank since all are flowconnected via the common connecting line 41 in parallel static fixed volume flow communication. Each pistoncylinder means is, therefore, in neutral position at all times and the inward displacement of one piston rod of a given piston-cylinder means will necessarily cause direct proportionate outward displacement of the remaining piston rods of the remaining piston-cylinder means in the same bank. On the other hand, the cutting tools on the remaining rod ends of the remaining piston-cylinder means will be outwardly urged so as to distribute the cutting force along the entire vertical extent of the cutting tools engaging the mine face. Adjustments of the positioning of the individual tools of the piston-cylinder means will achieve a more uniform distribution of the counterforces met at the mine face among the cutting tools at a given bank and enable the over-all planer operation to be conducted more efiiciently.

In FIG. 5 are also shown the pivot lugs 34a, 34b and 340 as well as the inclined shaft 36 used to connect the tool carrier 18 along the inclined axis A with appropriate lugs on lower support member 16 (not shown) which are positioned in the spaces 35a and 3511 between said lugs 34a, 34b and 340, as the case may be.

As an extremely important feature of the present invention, due to the fact that the appropriate piston-cylinder means will possess the normal inexpensive circular cross-section as between the cylinder chamber and the piston rod, and especially as between the piston head carried at the inward end of the piston rod which coacts with the walls of the cylinder chamber, appropriate guide means must be provided to prevent the rotation of the given piston rod 39 within the cylinder 37 which would cause the turning out of the particular cutting tool 38 from the desired cutting position. To this end appropriate external groove means such as the guide flanges 44 and 45 are provided on the exterior of the given cylinder 37 which accommodate slidably therein the tongue or guide rod 43 which is attached at its outermost end to the piston head 42. The guide rod 43 is maintained parallel to the piston rod 39 yet spaced therefrom sufliciently to permit unhindered displacement with respect to the adjacent wall portion of the cylinder interposed thereat. Since no lateral play substantially exists between the guide flanges 44 and 45, on the one hand, and the guide rod 43 slidably coacting therewith, on the other hand, the piston rod head 42 to which guide rod 43 is fixedly connected will be unable to rotate about the axis of the piston-cylinder means in question. This will prevent in turn any rotational deviation of the appropriate cutting tool 38 attached thereto.

It will be realized from a review of FIG. 5 in connection with the description of FIG. 3 that the appropriate carrier 18 will pivot about the shaft 36 which extends through bores in the respective pivot lugs or hearing lugs 34a, 34b, 340 as well as complementary bearing lugs on on the lower support member 16, whereby the tools will describe arcuate paths lying in appropriate planes inclined with respect to the horizontal as the pivoting occurs. In this same regard, it will be seen that most appropriately the longitudinal axes of operation of the piston-cylinder means in a given bank, i.e. on carrier 18 for instance, are disposed in a common plane which in the normal neutral position of carrier 18 is inclined outwardly toward the mine face with respect to the vertical longitudinal plane of the planer in question. Thiss disposition enhances the extension of the cutting tools into extractive engagement with the mine face when the tools are disposed in leading or operative position.

In FIG. 6, similar piston-cylinder means in the form of two separate opposed vertically stacked banks are provided for the upper tool carrier 22. Similar pressure equalization takes place in the case of all of the vertically arranged piston-cylinder means of the same bank as is true in the case of the separate banks for the left and right tool carriers 17 and 18.

The upper tool carrier 22 is pivotally arranged for pivoting about a vertical axis of pivot on the center bridge member 21. Each of the left and right banks as viewed in FIG. 6 of the piston-cylinder means carries appropriately a tool T to T as the case may be. In each tier a pair of cylinders 46 and 47 is provided which are disposed adjacent one another at their inwardmost ends yet with their longitudinal axes forming an obtuse angle with each other. The piston-cylinder means including the cylinders 46 and 47 appropriately containing piston rods carrying cutting tools 38 on their ends are constructed in the same manner as those shown in FIG. 5 and in fact each of the piston-cylinder means may be provided as a self-contained replaceable unit which may be inserted merely in an appropriate opening in a particular tier of FIG. 6 or in the appropriate pocket connector mounting shown in FIG. 4. Each tier shown in FIG. 6 is in the form of a horizontal plate 52 and at the medial ends of cylinders 46 and 47 an appropriate fluid chamber 40' is provided which is in turn flow-communicated with a vertical conduit 41 so that all of the piston-cylinder means in each of the left and right banks of FIG. 6 will be in common static fixed volume flow communication with one another so as to enjoy pressure equalization and proportionate displacement of the appropriate cutting tools 38 depending upon the counterforces met by each such tool at the mine face, i.e. in the same manner as described in connection with the banks of piston-cylinder means noted for the lower tool carriers 17 and 18, as the case may be. It is important in the embodiment of FIG. 6, just as that shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, that corresponding guide flanges 44' and 45 be provided externally of the cylinders 46 and 47 for coaction with corresponding tongues or guide rods 43 carried by the piston rod head 42' in question. A prolongation portion 48 may be provided at the innermost end of each cylinder of a given bank in order to assure proper flow-communication between the respective fluid chambers 40 and the common vertical flow conduit 41'.

At the rear side of each horizontal plate 52, a segment shaped double headed guide rim 49 is provided Which contains a curved or arcuate slot stop 50 defined therethrough.

As may be seen more clearly in FIG. 7, the rim 49 is disposed to accommodate similar coacting groove parts (not shown) on the center bridge member 21 to permit the desired pivoting of the upper tool carrier 22 about a vertical axis of pivot to insert and withdraw the appro priate right and left banks of the cutting tools, depending upon the particular direction of advance of the planer. Also, in FIG. 7 is clearly shown the relationship between the cylinder prolongation connections at 48 between a given fluid chamber 40' and the vertical flow conduit 41. Since the upper tool carrier 22 in the embodiment shown is actually formed from a series of stacked tiers of plates 52, sealing nipples 51 may be utilized as simple connectors between the appropriate vertical flow conduits 41 of the superimposed plates 52.

In FIG. 8, the manner of connecting the individual piston-cylinder means units via the guide flanges 44' and 45' in conjunction with the tongues or guide rods 43' may be seen as well as the relationship of the sealing nipples 51 of each of the two opposed piston-cylinder means of each horizontal plate 52 whereby simple stacked disposition of a plurality of such plates will enjoy common parallel fixed volume flow communication among the piston-cylinder means of each bank via the interconnecting sealing nipples 51 between adjacent flow conduits 41 passing through the plates 52. If desired, the mounting means of each piston-cylinder means may be modified to permit the inclusion of a plurality of cutting tools 38 as indicated schematically in FIG. 8.

Of course, if desired, a central bolt may be extended through the ears 53 in the forward face of the various plates 52 whereby to interconnect the plates as a composite unit so as to define the upper tool carrier 22 thereby.

The actual vertical axis of pivot of the upper tool carrier 22 is displaced rearwardly from the respective plates 52 and is located at the center of the circle described in part by the rim 49. Nevertheless, the pivotal movement with respect to such vertical axis may be enjoyed by the upper tool carrier 22 by the use of the rim 49 in connection with appropriate groove means (not shown) on the center bridge member 21. However, in order to limit desirably the extent of pivoting of the upper tool carrier 22, a stop projection may be inserted vertically into each grooved slot stop 50 from the center bridge member 21 so as to coact with the stop 50 and limit the range of pivoting to the corresponding arcuate range defined by stop 50.

Advantageously, because of the alignment of the stacked horizontal plates 52 and in turn of the vertical flow conduits 41 interconnected by the sealing nipples 51, any desired number of piston-cylinder means in the left and right opposed banks of the upper tool carrier 22 may be provided. Naturally, the uppermost and lowermost ends of the flow conduit defined by the appropriate separate flow conduits 41 will be sealed by means of a suitable plug or the like so that parallel fixed volume static pressure fluid medium flow communication of all of the piston-cylinder means in each bank will be attained to achieve the purposes described above.

Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, a mining planer is provided which carries not only alternately pivotal lower banks of cutting tools but also opposed upper banks of such tools whereby to cut mineral from a mine face throughout the height of a seam and regardless of the uneven distribution of soft spots and hard spots in the mineral and without experiencing any deviation of the cutting tools from their normal angular disposition which might otherwise be caused by the rotation of a given piston part within an appropriate cylinder part. Moreover, because of the particular slide bar and link lever construction interconnecting the pivotal lower tool carriers with the drive chain or other traction cable used to conduct the planer back and forth along the mine face, controlled actuation to extend and withdraw the appropriate pivotal tool carrier :may be achieved so as to enjoy maximum cutting efficiency with the leading tool carrier and maximum freedom from friction with the trailing tool carrier. The various tool carriers contemplate the use of replaceable or exchangeable piston-cylinder means carrying cutting tools thereon to permit ready adaptability to changing circumstances in the mining operation, whereby to include additional cutting means to widen the scope of cut or delete one or more cutting means to narrow the scope of cut, as the circumstances require. Each piston-cylinder means is preferably in the form of a separate unit which may be utilized either in the lower tool carrier or in the upper tool carrier for cutting in either direction of operation, depending upon the actual location on the planer.

Naturally, in order to enjoy the pressure equalization feature of the various piston-cylinder means in each bank, the units of each bank including at least two pistoncylinder means must be connected via a common pressure fluid medium conduit so that movement of one cutting tool in a given direction will be associated with corresponding movement in the opposite direction proportionately of the remaining tools in the same bank. In this manner, the cutting action of the planer will be applied with the same force throughout the mine face, independently of the hardness of the mineral being encountered at any given point, because the planer forces and the counterforces at the mine face are distributed and equalized in terms of the appropriate proportionate displacement of the piston-cylinder means and in turn of the tools carried thereby.

It is significant, in accordance with the present invention, that the pivot axes of the lower tool carriers are located preferably closer to the middle of the planer than the cutting tools mounted thereon since the tools are thereby brought into and out of contact with the working face by only slight pivoting of the particular carrier, utilizing the displaceable slide bars, link levers, end stops, etc. Positive control in dependence upon the direction of travel of the planer may be enjoyed in pivoting the lower tool carriers and in turn the tools thereon toward and away from the mine face.

In this regard, it will be realized that the distance between the pivotal connections of the respective link levers to the appropriate slide bars will be shorter than the distance between the pivotal connections of the link levers to the respective tool carriers since in this way longitudinal displacement of the slide bars will achieve maximum efiiciency of pivoting without jamming or locking and without placing undue stress on the coacting parts despite the fact that the slide bars are connected directly to the appropriate ends of the traction cable used to move the planer system back and forth along the mine face.

It will be realized, of course, that the maximum effect of the pivotal cutters will be attained by utilizing axes of pivot inclined upwardly and inwardly toward one another, i.e. toward the longitudinal center of the planer, and which are located in the same vertical plane.

A most significant advantage of the construction utilized for the piston-cylinder means to prevent rotation of the cutting tool about the longitudinal axis of the given piston-cylinder means is the fact that sealing difiiculties are avoided at the point where the piston rod enters the cylinder. Such difiiculties would certainly occur if the piston rod were other than circular in cross-section, for example polygonal, or for instance if the cylinder and rod were provided with a longitudinal groove for receiving a key in the manner of a spline connection. On the other hand, in accordance with the present invention, by maintaining a circular cross-section of these coacting parts, which is inexpensive to produce, and by avoiding the need for any rotation preventing means directly connecting the sliding surfaces of these parts, more versatile adaptations may be attained, i.e. by the use of externally disposed guide means on the cylinder part in which the free end of a guide rod or the like fixedly carried on the outer end of the piston rod may be inserted.

This simple constructional feature avoids completely sealing difiiculties as have occurred in the past, while maintaining at the same time an extremely eifective peripheral and longitudinal alignment of the piston part and the cylinder part with respect to one another so that no rotational deviation in any position of displacement of such parts can occur.

Thus, in accordance with the present invention, the base means of the planer may include a pair of articulatedly interconnected longitudinally extending lower support members on which the lower tool carriers are correspondingly pivotally mounted, on each of which corresponding stop means are defined, on each of which a corresponding slide bar means is displaceably disposed such that the medial ends of the bar means are linkably interconnected while the corresponding distal ends are correspondingly adapted to be connected to the traction cable means ends, and on each of which a corresponding lever link is provided whereby to connect the appropriate lower tool carrier therewith for pivoting the carriers toward and away from the mine face.

The base means further contemplates in this regard a longitudinally extending upper bridge member disposed substantially above and between the pair of lower support members and connected articulatedly under slight longitudinal play at one end portion thereof to the corresponding upper portion of one of the lower members and connected articulatedly under slight longitudinal play at the other end portion thereof to the corresponding upper portion of the other lower member. In this way limited articulation among the upper and lower members may be achieved to accommodate unevenness in the mine floor. The bridge member is provided advantageously with an upper tool carrier member mounted pivotally thereon while medially directed floor extensions are provided advantageously on the lower support members which are interconnected about a transverse horizontal pivot axis.

Appropriately, the cylinder parts are the fixed parts and the piston parts are the displaceable parts of the piston-cylinder means which carry the cutting tools thereon, although the reverse construction is possible. A common flow conduit extends adjacent all of the cylinder parts of each bank which flow communicates via corresponding branch conduits with the cylinder parts so as to provide the fluid pressure medium parallel flow communication among all of the cylinder parts of a particular bank and thus pressure equalization therebetween.

The guide means to prevent rotation of the piston part with respect to the cylinder part include preferably a corresponding guide rod connected to each cutting tool at one end thereof and slidably mounted at the other end thereof in longitudinal groove means defined externally on the corresponding cylinder part, with the guide rod maintained in parrallel spaced relation to the corresponding piston part. Accordingly, the piston part is prevented from rotating within the cylinder part in any position of displacement of the piston part and in turn of the cutting tool with respect to the cylinder part.

On the other hand, the opposed banks on the upper tool carrier are disposed in corresponding vertical planes situated at an obtuse angle with respect to each other such that the corresponding cutting tools outwardly diverge from said upper tool carrier in a direction toward the adjacent mine face. The two opposed cylinder parts in each tier of the opposed stacked piston-cylinder means are positioned correspondingly at such obtuse angle with respect to one another and carried by a common horizontal plate pivotally mounted about a vertical pivot axis of the upper tool carrier in such a manner that all of the horizontal plates define collectively the upper tool carrier, with each horizontal plate being disposed removably in corresponding stacked relation so as to form the left and right banks. By reason of the segment shaped mounting rim remote from the cutting tools and the atollate slot stop defined therethrough, the base means, e.g. the center bridge member portion, may be interconnected therewith via corresponding segment shaped mounting grooves which coact with the mounting rims as well as corresponding stationary vertical projection means which extend into the slot stops to permit only limited pivotal movement of the stacked horizontal plates and in turn of the cutting tools carried thereby with respect to the base means.

In accordance with a specific embodiment of the present invention, therefore, a mining planer is provided which comprises a pair of articulatedly interconnected longitudinally extending opposed lower support members, a longitudinally extending upper bridge member disposed substantially above and between said pair of lower members and articulatedly connected at one end portion thereof to the corresponding upper portion of one of said lower members and articulatedly connected at the other end portion thereof to the corresponding upper portion of the other of said lower members, a corresponding pair of operatively opposed lower tool carriers pivotally mounted on said lower members along corresponding inclined limited pivot axes extending upwardly and medially toward said bridge member and a bridge tool carrier pivotally mounted on said bridge member along a substantially vertical limited pivot axis, a bank of at least two individual substantially vertically stacked pressure fluid medium actuated piston-cylinder means in operative parallel pressure fluid medium static equalization flow communication substantially longitudinally disposed on and connected removably to each said lower carrier and a corresponding pair of opposed banks of at least two said individual substantially vertically stacked piston-cylinder means substantially longitudinally disposed on and connected removably to the corresponding end portions of said bridge carrier, each said piston-cylinder means including a piston part and a cylinder part with one of said parts being releasably fixed to the corresponding carrier and the other of said parts being longitudinally displaceable, each displaceable part having a cutting tool mounted thereon and operatively extending in the direction of the corresponding longitudinal outermost end of the lower member adjacent thereto, and guide means for each displaceable part operatively engaging such part to guide longitudinal displacement thereof with respect to the corresponding fixed part while preventing rotational deviation of said displaceable part about the longitudinal axis of said pistoncylinder means with respect to the corresponding fixed part in any position of displacement thereof.

In connection with the present invention, a replaceable mining cutter unit is similarly provided which comprises a cylinder body having a longitudinal cylinder defined therein provided with a closed end and an open end and a flow conduit defined therein which opens into the said cylinder at the closed end thereof, a piston rod having a piston face at one end portion thereof and a cutting tool at the other end portion thereof, said piston rod being operatively disposed in said cylinder with said piston face adjacent said flow conduit, guide groove means disposed longitudinally on the exterior of said cylinder body and longitudinal guide rod means stationarily fixed at one end thereof to the cutting tool end portion of said piston rod in substantially parallel spaced relation to the remainder of said piston rod and inserted via the other end thereof in said guide groove means in corresponding substantially parallel spaced relation to the portion of said cylinder body interposed between said piston rod and said guide rod means thereat, flow connection means disposed at the exterior of said cylinder body adapted for flow connecting said flow conduit with a common fixed volume source of pressure fluid as well as with a corresponding flow conduit of an additional such cylinder body, and mounting means on said cylinder body adapted for mounting said cylinder body in stacked relation with such additional cylinder body in common pressure fluid flow for coactive mine face cutting operation.

In particular, the mining cutter unit may include at least 2 individual substantially vertically stacked cylinder bodies each correspondingly having a longitudinal cylinder defined therein provided with a closed end and an open end and a flow conduit defined therein which opens into the said cylinder at the closed end thereof, a corresponding piston rod for each said cylinder having a piston face at one end portion thereof and a cutting tool at the other end portion thereof, each said piston .rod being operatively disposed in the corresponding cylinder with said piston face adjacent the corresponding flow conduit, guide groove means disposed longitudinally on the exterior of each corresponding cylinder body and longitudinal guide rod means stationarily fixed at one end thereof to the cutting tool end portion of each corresponding piston rod in substantially parallel spaced relation to the remainder of said piston rod and inserted via the other end thereof in the corresponding guide groove means in corresponding 16 substantially parallel spaced relation to the portion of the corresponding cylinder body interposed between the particular piston rod and guide rod means thereat, flow connection means disposed at the exterior of said cylinder bodies flow interconnecting the corresponding flow conduits and adapted for flow connecting such flow conduits with a common fixed volume source of pressure fluid, and mounting means on said cylinder bodies interconnecting said cylinder bodies in stacked relation in common pressure fluid flow for coactive mine face cutting operation.

In connection with a specific feature of the mining cutter unit of the invention, each cylinder body is provided in the form of a horizontal cutter plate having a pair of correspondingly opposed cylinders, flow conduits, piston rods, cutting tools, guide groove means and guide rod means, and flow connection means, the longitudinal axes of said cylinders intersecting each other at an obtuse angle to permit operative cutting via the corresponding tool of one said cylinder in one cutting direction and via the corresponding tool of the other said cylinder in the other cutting direction, such that each of the correspondingly opposed cylinders in one said plate is flow interconnected via the corresponding flow connection means only with the corresponding cylinder vertically adjacent thereto in the next plate yet closed off from flow communication with the corresponding cylinder horizontally adjacent thereto, the corresponding flow connection means, flow conduits and cylinders which are vertically flow connected having a total fixed volume of pressure fluid therein in static parallel flow communication with said cylinders, whereby displacement of one corresponding piston rod thereof in one operative longitudinal direction results in proportionate displacement of the remaining piston rods thereof in the other operative longitudinal direction.

Naturally, where various constructional parts have been defined in terms of means in the instant specification and/or claims, such means have been illustrated in the accompanying drawing as specific elements, but in accordance with the present invention, such means contemplate any and all elements usable to achieve the combination arrangement of the invention, as the artisan will appreciate, so long as the disposition of the parts in question is maintained, and any and all such constructional elements are contemplated herein just as if prolix enumeration thereof were set forth in detail herein.

What is claimed is:

1. Mining planer which comprises base means adapted to be conducted longitudinally back and forth in first and second opposite directions along a mine face, first direction cutting means and second direction cutting means mounted pivotally on said base means for corresponding alternate extractive engagement with such mine face during travel of said base means in said first and second directions, each said cutting means having a bank of at least two individual substantially vertically stacked pressure fluid medium actuated piston-cylinder means in op erative static pressure fluid medium parallel flow communication and each said piston-cylinder means includ ing a piston part and a cylinder part with one of said parts being fixed against movement and being situated in longitudinal disposition on the corresponding cutting means and the other of said parts being displaceable, such that displacement of one of said displaceable parts in a particular bank in one operative direction causes correspondingly proportionate displacement of the remainder of said displaceable parts in such bank in the opposite operative direction, each said displaceable part having a cutting tool mounted thereon which extends operatively in the corresponding cutting direction, and guide means for each said displaceable part engaging operatively such part to permit longitudinal displacement thereof with respect to the corresponding fixed part while preventing rotational displacement thereof and in turn of the corresponding tool about the longitudinal axis of said pistoncylinder means in any position of displacement of such displaceable part.

2. Planer according to claim 1 wherein said cutting means include a corresponding pair of operatively opposed lower tool carriers pivotally mounted on the corresponding longitudinal ends of said base means for limited pivoting laterally toward and away from the adjacent mine face, each said lower carrier having a corresponding bank of at least two said individual substantially vertical stacked piston-cylinder means longitudinally disposed thereon together with said guide means therefor such that the corresponding pivot axes of said lower tool carriers are closer to the center of said base means than are the cutting tools carried by said tool carriers, longitudinally spaced apart stop means being defined on said base means and slide bar means being longitudinally displaceably disposed on said base means and adapted to be attached to the corresponding ends of a traction cable used for conducting the planer back and forth along the mine face to permit limited longitudinal displacement of said slide bar means with respect to said base means between said stop means in dependence upon the direction of pull of such traction cable means on said slide bar means, and a pair of lever links each pivotally connected at one corresponding end to said slide bar means at corresponding longitudinally spaced apart bar pivot points and at the other corresponding end to a corresponding lower carrier at corresponding longitudinally spaced apart carrier pivot points, the distance between said bar pivot points being shorter than the corresponding distance between said carrier pivot points, whereby displacement of said slide bar means alternately pivots said carriers toward and away from such mine face.

3. Planer according to claim 2 wherein the pivot axes of said lower tool carriers are disposed in a common vertical plane and are inclined upwardly and medially toward each other.

4. Planer according to claim 2 wherein said cutting means further includes an upper tool carrier pivotally mounted thereon along a substantially vertical limited pivot axis, said upper carrier having a corresponding pair of opposed banks of at least two said individual substantially vertically stacked piston-cylinder means longitudinally disposed on the corresponding end portions of said upper carrier together with said guide means therefor.

5. Planer according to claim 4 wherein said base means includes a pair of articulatedly interconnected longitudinally extending opposed lower support members on which said lower tool carriers are correspondingly pivotally mounted, on each of which corresponding said stop means are correspondingly defined, on each of which a corresponding slide bar means is displaceably disposed such that the medial ends of said bar means are linkably interconnected and the distal ends are correspondingly adapted to be connected to such traction cable means ends, and on each of which a corresponding one of said lever links is provided to connect the corresponding lower tool carrier therewith for pivoting of said lower tool carriers toward and away from such mine face, and wherein said base means further includes a longitudinally extending upper bridge member disposed substantially above and between said pair of lower support members and which is connected articulatedly under slight longitudinal play at one end portion thereof to the corresponding upper portion of one of said lower members and connected articulatedly under slight longitudinal play at the other end portion thereof to the corresponding upper portion of the other of said lower members whereby to permit limited articulation among said upper and lower members, said bridge member having said upper tool carrier mounted pivotally thereon.

6. Planer according to claim 5 wherein medially directed floor plate extensions are provided on said lower support members which are interconnected about a transverse horizontal pivot axis to form the articulated interconnection of said lower support members.

7. Planer according to claim 5 wherein said cylinder parts are said fixed parts and said piston parts are said displaceable parts carrying correspondingly said cutting tools thereon, a common flow conduit extending adjacent all of the corresponding cylinder parts of each said bank and corresponding branch conduits flow connecting said cylinder parts with said common conduit to provide said fluid pressure medium parallel flow communication among all of the cylinder parts of the particular bank.

8. Planer according to claim 7 wherein said guide means include a corresponding guide rod connected to each cutting tool at one end thereof and slidably mounted at the other end thereof in longitudinal groove means defined externally on the corresponding cylinder part such that said guide rod is maintained in parallel spaced relation to the corresponding piston part and said piston part is prevented from rotating within said cylinder part in any position of displacement of said piston part and in turn said cutting tool with respect to said cylinder part.

9. Planer according to claim 8 wherein said opposed banks on said upper tool carrier are disposed in corresponding vertical planes situated at an obtuse angle with respect to each other such that the corresponding cutting tools outwardly diverge from said upper tool carrier in a direction toward the adjacent mine face, and wherein the two correspondingly opposed cylinder parts in each tier of such opposed stacked piston-cylinder means are correspondingly disposed at said obtuse angle with respect to each other and carried by a common horizontal plate pivotally mounted about the vertical pivot axis of said upper tool carrier such that all said horizontal plates are disposed removably in corresponding stacked relation whereby to define collectively said upper tool carrier, each said horizontal plate having a segment shaped mounting rim remote from the corresponding cutting tools with a corresponding arcuate slot stop defined therethrough and said base means having corresponding segment shaped mounting grooves coacting with said mounting rims as well as corresponding stationary vertical projection means extending into said slot stops to permit limited pivotal movement of said horizontal plates and in turn said cutting tools with respect to said base means.

10. Mining planer according to claim 1 which comprises a pair of articulatedly interconnected longitudinally extending opposed lower support members, a longitudi nally extending upper bridge member disposed substantially above and between said pair of lower members and articulatedly connected at one end portion thereof to the corresponding upper portion of one of said lower members and articulatedly connected at the other end portion thereof to the corresponding upper portion of the other of said lower members, a corresponding pair of operatively opposed lower tool carriers mounted on said lower members along corresponding inclined limited pivot axes extending upwardly and medially toward said bridge member and a bridge tool carrier pivotally mounted on said bridge member along a substantially vertical limited pivot axis, a bank of at least two individual substantially vertically stacked pressure fiuid medium actuated piston-cylinder means in operative parallel pressure fluid medium static equalization fiow communication substantially longitudinally disposed on and connected removably to each said lower carrier and a corresponding pair of opposed banks of at least two said individual substantially vertically stacked piston-cylinder means substantially longitudinally disposed on and connected removably to the corresponding end portions of said bridge carrier, each said piston-cylinder means including a piston part and a cylinder part with one of said parts being releasably fixed to the corresponding carrier and the other of said parts being longitudinally displaceable, each displaceable part having a cutting tool mounted thereon and operatively extending in the direction of the corresponding longitudinal outermost end of the lower member adjacent thereto, and guide means for each displaceable part operatively engaging such part to guide longitudinal displacement thereof with respect to the corresponding fixed part while preventing rotational deviation of said displaceable part about the longitudinal axis of said piston-cylinder means with respect to the corresponding fixed part in any position of displacement thereof.

11. Mining cutter unit adapted to be conducted along a mine face in operative engagement therewith to extract mineral therefrom which comprises a cylinder body having a longitudinal cylinder defined therein provided With a closed end and an open end and a flow conduit defined therein which opens into the said cylinder at the closed end thereof, a piston rod having a piston face at one end portion thereof and a cutting tool at the other end portion thereof, said piston rod being operatively disposed in said cylinder with said piston face adjacent said flow conduit, guide groove means disposed longitudinally on the exterior of said cylinder body and longitudinal guide rod means stationarily fixed at one end thereof to the cutting tool end portion of said piston rod in substantially parallel spaced relation to the remainder of said piston rod and inserted via the other end thereof in said guide groove means in corresponding substantially parallel spaced relation to the portion of said cylinder body interposed between said piston rod and said guide rod means thereat, flow connection means disposed at the exterior of said cylinder body adapted for flow connecting said flow conduit with a common fixed volume source of pressure fluid as well as with a corresponding flow conduit of an additional such cylinder body, and mounting means on said cylinder body adapted for mounting said cylinder body in stacked relation with such additional cylinder body in common pressure fluid flow for coactive mine face cutting operation.

12. Mining cutter unit according to claim 11 adapted to be conducted along a mine face in operative engagement therewith to extract mineral therefrom which comprises at least two individual substantially vertically stacked cylinder bodies each correspondingly having a longitudinal cylinder defined therein provided with a closed end and an open end and a flow conduit defined therein which opens into the said cylinder at the closed end thereof, a corresponding piston rod for each said cylinder having a piston face at one end portion thereof and a cutting tool at the other end portion thereof, each said piston rod being operatively disposed in the corresponding cylinder with said piston face adjacent the corresponding flow conduit, guide groove means disposed longitudinally on the exterior of each corresponding cylinder body and longitudinal guide rod means stationarily fixed at one end thereof to the cutting tool end portion of each corresponding piston rod in substantially parallel spaced relation to the remainder of said piston rod and inserted via the other end thereof in the corresponding guide groove means in corresponding substantially parallel spaced relation to the portion of the corresponding cylinder body interposed between the particular piston rod and guide rod means thereat, flow connection means disposed at the exterior of said cylinder bodies flow interconnecting the corresponding flow conduits and adapted for flow connecting such flow conduits with a common 'fixed volume source of pressure fluid, and mounting means on said cylinder bodies interconnecting said cylinder bodies in stacked relation in common pressure fluid flow for coactive mine face cutting operation.

13. Mining cutter unit according to claim 12 wherein each said cylinder body is in the form of a horizontal cutter plate having a pair of correspondingly opposed cylinders, flow conduits, piston rods, cutting tools, guide groove means and guide rod means, and flow connection means, the longitudinal axes of said cylinders intersecting each other at an obtuse angle to permit operative cutting via the corresponding tool of one said cylinder in one cutting direction and via the corresponding tool of the other said cylinder in the other cutting direction, such that each of the correspondingly opposed cylinders in one said plate is flow interconnected via the corresponding flow connection means only with the corresponding cylinder vertically adjacent thereto in the next plate yet closed off from flow communication with the corresponding cylinder horizontally adjacent thereto, the corresponding fiow connection means, flow conduits and cylinders which are vertically flow connected having a total fixed volume of pressure fluid therein in static parallel flow communication with said cylinders, whereby displacement of one corresponding piston rod thereof in one operative longitudinal direction results in proportionate displacement of the remaining piston rods thereof in the other operative longitudinal direction.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,357,744 12/ 1967 Heyer 299-34 3,361,479 1/1968 Lobbe 29934 3,361,480 1/1968 Heyer et al 299-34 FOREIGN PATENTS 935,012 8/ 1963 Great Britain.

ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 299- 3,445,138 Dated May 20, 1969 Patent No.

Inventor) Armin L'obbe and Michael Wengrzik It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters 'Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Colunm 1, line 40, "planar" should read "planer" Column 3, line 30, after "adja-" insert --cent corresponding cylinders when the particular cylinder-. Column 8, line 3, before "axis" insert --about--. Column 10, line 10, after "pressure" insert -fluid- SIG NED AND SEALED (SEA!) Attolt: Edward H. mm 11'. man 1. mm. m.

Mmzinz Officer ner of ham; 

